Customs Among the Q'Rillians
by Dougie Zerts
Summary: What is odd to us is perfectly normal to other cultures-as Williams and Deanna will find out!


1.

First Mate Riker and Counselor Troi were on the planet Q'Rilla. They were there to negotiate a treat between the Federation and the Q'Rillians. They were in a ready room.

A call came through on William's transponder. It was Data.

"Yes, Data."

"Has the Q'Rillian representative met you, yet?"

"No, she hasn't."

"I have just found out a fact that I feel you and Counselor Troi should know about. It seems that the Q'Rillians-"

At the moment, the door opened.

"Gotta go, Data."

"But sir-"CLICK

They were met by two beautiful women. One wore a purple dress with matching stocking, and the other wore a yellow dress with matching stockings.

"Good afternoon," said the purple-dressed woman. "I am S'Nora Drex, representative of the planet Q'Rilla, and this is my assistant Kriss. You must be First Mate William Riker. You look very handsome! And you are Counselor Deanna Troi? You are very pretty!"

They both thanked her.

"Come with me, please.

2.

She led them out the room and into a grand hallway. They eventually went into another room.

This room's main feature was a sunken pool filled with water. On the sides were touch screens and various food snacks.

S'Nora and Kriss took their shoes off. Then they got into the pool-with the rest of their clothes on! The water went up to their waists. They quickly sat down and settled themselves in it.

William and Deanna looked at each other with puzzled expressions!

S'Nora smiled. "I believe there's an Earth expression: 'Come on in, the water's fine!'"

They took their boots and socks off. Then they got into the water with the women. Soon, they also settled in.

"Is the water warm enough? I can make it hotter, if you'd like.

"It's very nice," said Deanna.

"Then let us begin."

Thus they begun their negotiations. They occasionally used their touch screens for information and to formulate a document. (S'Nora assured them the screens were water resistant.) Will and Dee sometimes called the Enterprise for information, and S'Nora and Kriss would occasionally also call their superiors. They ate of the food on the pool's side. At one point, the two women left the pool for a bathroom break.

"I hope our uniforms are drip-dry!," joked William, while they were gone.

Deanna smiled. "I'm sure they are! This is probably what Data wanted to warn us about."

"I think you're right."

They returned, soon after that.

1 ½ hours later, they hammered out a document between the Federation and the planet Q'Rilla.

The four of them got out of the pool. "May we have towels please?," asked Deanna.

"That won't be necessary. Follow me. Oh, and don't put your shoes on, yet!"

3.

She led them through a door in the pool room. This led them into a small room. It had a row of seats. Holes were on the walls. They sat down.

Strong hot jets of air began blowing from the holes, drying their clothes.

"This is very nice," said Deanna.

S'Nora smiled. "You didn't think we'd have you go back to your ship with wet uniforms, my dear!"

Within a few minutes, they were almost completely dry.

4.

They went back into the pool room and put their shoes back on. Kriss went to a printer. She printed out a copy of the draft treaty, which she gave to Riker.

"This calls for a celebration," said S'Nora. "Let us have a dinner party tomorrow night starting at 2000 hours, here in the Grand Hall. We can officially sign the document then. Your entire crew is invited. I look forward to meeting your captain, then."

"It will be an honor, Ms. Drex."

"Please call me S'Nora. There's a saying on this planet: When people bath together, they are friends for life."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, then Riker called the ship, and he and Deanna beamed back up.

5.

"I did try to warn you, sir," said Data.

"Yes, you did, Data," said Riker.

"The Q'Rillians love to swim in water. However, they are very reserved, so they prefer to wear their clothes, while swimming. I should also mention that there is a very large pool in their Grand Hall, so we shall probably be expected to bath in it, during tomorrow's festivities."

"Thanks for the warning!"

"Well, it was all worth it," said Piccard. "Their resources will be most welcome to the Federation. Good work, you two!"

Riker and Troi thanked him.


End file.
